The annual research conference, which is the world’s largest gathering of the Alzheimer’s and dementia research community,took place at ExCeL London from 16th – 20th July and welcomed more than 5,600 attendees from 68 different countries, the largest attendance to date.

On the opening day of the conference, the Alzheimer’s Association and ExCeL played host to a London themed reception. TFI Group, together with Lodestar, transformed ExCeL's event halls into an interactive, immersive London experience, with areas including Covent Garden, Carnaby Street, Big Ben and Downing Street. Entertainers such as palace guards, street performers and a Queen impersonator brought the experience to life, alongside double-decker buses and iconic black cabs.

The event also saw the lighting up of the Coca-Cola London Eye. All 6,000 LED lights were switched to purple, the colour of the Alzheimer’s Association, to celebrate the conference taking place in the city and to raise awareness of the challenges brought by the disease.

Darren Mendola, Senior Director, Conference Services at the Alzheimer's Association, said: “We are grateful to the ExCel and the City of London for serving as fantastic hosts for an extremely successful conference. We were thrilled to see such an incredible attendance, and know that the new research shared will have a lasting impact around the globe.”

Andrew Swanston, Head of Sales, ExCeL London, said: “Having first met the AAIC team in 2008, it was fantastic to see their conference come to Londonand we are thrilledthat they have had such a successful event. In partnership with London, it is our aspiration to host the very best events in the world and the AAIC congress represents the leading event in its field. We are honoured to have worked with the AAIC team to deliver a truly world-class event.”

Suzanne Singleton, Head of Associations at London & Partners, the Mayor of London’s official promotion agency and convention bureau for the city, said: “It was a fantastic honour to welcome the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) to London and to play our part in the essential work the Association carries out. It was AAIC’s first time in the capital and we are delighted the congress broke attendance records. This is a testament to London’s capabilities to host large events and to what can be achieved when working closely with our partners.”

Sunny Jouhal, General Manager of the Coca-Cola London Eye, commented: “We were proud to be shining a light on this important event, with the world's largest forum for the dementia research community. As one of London’s most iconic and loved landmarks, we wanted to highlight this important subject and the work that The Alzheimer's Association does.”

Phil Watton Director at TFI Group, added “We were delighted to play our part in making the 2017 event such a success. AAIC is a world class, mass scale event that sets a challenge for any agency. I'm proud of the great work our logistics and creative teams put in to ensure the delegate experience in London will set a benchmark for future events”.

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